The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp which is configured so as to provide a beam of light on a road surface in front of the vehicle with a predetermined light distribution pattern while the vehicle is turning or executing a corner.
Conventionally, a cornering lamp, which is a vehicular lamp other than a headlamp, has been known which provides a beam on the road surface in front of the vehicle when the vehicle is turning, thus increasing the visibility of the road surface in the turning direction.
FIGS. 11A and 10B show light distribution patterns Pa′ formed on the road surface in front of a vehicle by a beam from a conventional cornering lamp produced when the vehicle is making a left turn.
Specifically, FIG. 10A shows the light distribution pattern produced when the vehicle is just starting to enter an intersection and turn to the left at a low speed, and FIG. 10A shows the light distribution pattern when the vehicle is turning to the left at a medium or high speed. A light distribution pattern P (L) shown by chain double-dashed lines in FIGS. 10A and 10B is a low-beam light distribution pattern formed by the headlamp.
The light distribution pattern Pa′ is formed so as to spread in a downwardly slanting direction from the vicinity of a hot zone (high light intensity area) HZ (L) toward the left. There is also a hot zone HZa′ at the upper right side in the light distribution pattern. As a result, good visibility on the road surface in front of the vehicle in the turning direction is ensured while driving from low speeds to medium and high speeds.
However, the conventional cornering lamp, which is configured so as to radiate a beam in a single light distribution pattern Pa′, has the following problems.
When a vehicle turns while traveling at a low speed with the driver's eyes directed to the road surface over a short distance, visibility is decreased due to the brightness of an area A1 on the far side of the light distribution pattern Pa′. In addition, when the vehicle turns while traveling at medium and high speeds with the driver's eyes directed to the long distance road surface, visibility is decreased due to the brightness of an area A2 on the closer side of the light distribution pattern Pa′.
These problems can also occur in the case of a vehicular lamp other than a cornering lamp.